Series seen in 2024#
(Not really *all* the series, though, because I didn't take notes throughout the whole year.)
Beware: There are a couple of spoilers ahead as those are predominantly notes for myself. Nothing all too serious but one or two twists are revealed.
The Fall of the House of Usher#
I finished "The Fall of the House of Usher" yesterday. Overall, it was enjoyable, but I found pacing to be dragging a little. After the third child, I figured out the pattern, and it took a bit of fun off. Also, despite being gruesome, it's more of a mystery story where I wanted to put pieces together. I suppose, only the jumpscare with the jester was on the scary side. It did, however, inspire me to find and read "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket."
Ragnarok#
I finished Netflix's "Ragnarok" yesterday. The first season was a slow burner, then it picked up on pace in the second season and outright weirdness in the third one. It was a bit too much at some point, actually. I was less than impressed the further it was getting, but then the last episode happened, and it changed my mind completely. Suddenly, it made more sense. That being said, I'm glad it wasn't longer.
To be less cryptic, I liked how the show undoes all the previous story in the biggest twist since "The Usual Suspects." But what I found especially appealing was that it doesn't offer any alternative explanation. What were the real events? Did they know each other in a different capacity? Were they friends? Was that subconscious projecting? Magne's the most unreliable narrator I can think of. And just to think I sat down to the episode with no expectations.
The Boys (Season 4)#
I finished "The Boys," season 4, yesterday, and they take no prisoners with all the political references. Someone even dug up santorum.
But what impressed me the most was the shapeshifter character. Usually, they are played by a specific actor who morphs into others. But not here. Here the shapeshifter sheds their skin to reveal the new impersonated person, and we never get to see their original form. I really liked it. It's actually the second time I see a solution like that, the first being Chameleon from "Machete Kills." The proper way to show a shapeshifter.
The White Lotus (Season 1)#
"The White Lotus" seemed to me to be a sitcom for some reason, so I was postponing it. Wrong. It starts like a family drama, albeit, set in a timeless space of a hotel/spa, then gets comedic, then suddenly gets serious in a manner that reminded me of Joseph Heller's "Catch-22." There is a fantastic gallery of characters who interact with each other in all manners of speaking, and that is what makes the show here. Can't wait to continue my adventure.
Uzumaki#
"Uzumaki" is a 4-episode anime based on a manga. It tells a story of a small town going crazy due to its tenants' obsession about spirals. I really liked how the story goes off the bat almost immediately and continues on this path, with some disturbingly interesting ideas. I am not a fan of black-and-white mangas, but it was executed very well, with blurring of things out of focus, etc. Now I'm considering getting the manga.
The Office#
After a couple of years, I finished watching "The Office." It's very funny, and I was impressed that it kept its quality to the end, even after Michael Scott was gone. And the last 2 episodes were really heartwarming. But generally, they truly captured the quirks of office life. While I never went as far as to submerge someone's calculator in jelly, I had a fair share of various pranks, so I found that part very relatable. I think this relatability is the strongest part of the show.
Monsters: The Lyle and Eric Menendez Story#
"Monsters: The Lyle and Eric Menendez Story" is the second season of the anthology series, after the one about Jeffrey Dahmer. I didn't know about the Menendez brothers, so I was watching their story with a fresh eye. I liked the order of revealing things, which accounted for more twists than otherwise. And I was really impressed by an episode with one single shot where the camera was slowly zooming in on one of the brothers as he was telling his story.
The Penguin#
One of the running jokes about the series "Gotham" was that it should have been called "Penguin" instead, due to the prominence of that character. Well, it's finally here. "The Penguin" is a spin-off of "The Batman," with Colin Farrell reprising his role. The show is more than okay, with no superhero nonsense and leaning heavily towards gangster's climates. Colin Farrell is doing an amazing job. Yet still, there is some comic-book oversimplification at times.
The Outsider#
"The Outsider" is a Stephen King book adaptation as a series. It's a bit mixed beast: it starts like a rock solid procedural, to turn supernatural halfway through (and become a real slow burner), to have some more action in the last two episodes. Overall, I liked it, especially that the titular character turned out to be a shapeshifter similar to the one from "The Boys." Very strong acting and very likeable characters who also liked each other, which was very nice.
Barry (Season 1)#
I ran out of classic sitcoms, so I started watching "Barry," which is a comedy show. It's a modern show, so it has a couple of layers, but it's funny too. Barry himself is a bit like Dexter. While I found a contract killer who reunites with his feelings through learning to act a bit implausible, I think it works for the story. A tonne of well-played and well-written characters. The finale of season 1 brings back Dexter again. Not that it's a bad thing, as I am a sort of a fan of the character.
Dune: Prophecy (Season 1)#
"Dune: Prophecy" is a show set in Dune's universe. There was a mini-show 24 years ago, but this one acts as a prequel to the movies. And not a modest prequel because it's set 10,000 years before the movies. At the same time, it shares the visuals, as they used the style that has been created for Villanueve's duology. The show is more about court plots and conspiracies, and it shows them perfectly, with all the moving parts that can go wrong at any time. I can't wait for season 2.
Tokyo Vice#
"Tokyo Vice" is HBO's show based on a memoir of Jake Adelstein, a young American who starts working as a journalist in Tokyo and has to navigate foreign customs, the police, and Yakuza. Well done (Michael Mann was on board!) and despite being cancelled after 2 seasons, it managed to complete the story hinted at in the first scene.